I will not venture to list all the rules here. If you seek all the rules, you may purchase the World of Darkness system books from Amazon Books, White Wolf, or your local book or comic shop. Rather, I will elaborate on the way the rules usually come into play. This is not a mandate nor is it even a guideline. It is an observation. And I don't see why it should be only mine. All suggestions and opinions are welcome. To have them posted, just mail them .To read the rules as set by White Wolf Studios, click here.

Forward Note
Before a discussion of the rules is begun, it is important to remember White Wolf's foremost rule: The Storyteller may change the rules or not use them as he/she sees fit. However, there is no Storyteller here, so we must go with the next best thing, the book. this has caused some problems in the past, but so will any way that you play; you can't please all of the people all of th time. There are no set plots, no unavoidable instances, no predestined story line. Each character creates the story with each action, each a contributor to the plot. This is a good thing. This is usually agreed upon by players in OOC (to find out the meaning of OOC and other related acronyms, click here) discussion. If you bend the rules and someone calls you on it, you either have to agree on a better course of action or sufficiently defend your actions. It gets a little hairy sometimes, but it's usually nothing a quick OOC discussion won't resolve.

Normal Play
Your character will be expected to observe the rules and conditions in normal play. There are noted "things that rarely happen" that seem to always happen here. According to White Wolf, few vampires care much for romantic interests. This is not the case in Court, as many have significant others. Also, while the rule book lists severe hatred between some clans, you may see characters of those clans getting along just fine. While this isn't always the norm, it is also an excellent source for intrigue among the kindred. If you think the rules are being bent, it is your right to say so. Just remember to show your maturity and keep it adult. Name-calling and insulting will not be tolerated among the other players, and you will quickly find yourself with noone to speak to or Role-play with.

Combat Scenes
Probably some of the most fun, due to the heavy action and focus, are combat scenes. Also some of the most difficult scenes to play are combat scenes. A lot of posts come across in a short period of time, and some of them will conflict. Sometimes you can just play through, but sometimes you'll have to pause and talk OOC to figure out which posts are to be considered valid and which aren't. It can be difficult, but the longer you play, the easier it gets. When you claim an attack or a defense, you should list the stat that allows you to make that move. This allows other players to decide how much of that action will affect their character.
Example:

Bob: *Dominate 1 to make Neal leave* Leave, Neal!
Neal: *Willpower 8, Merit: Iron Will to resist* No!
Bob: *pulls out a submachine gun and shoots half a clip at Neal, Firearms 3, Dexterity2 3 successes*
Neal: *Dodge 2, Dexterity 1, 2 successes, takes about half the bullets*
Bob: (Damage 6: 4 successes)
Neal: *bleeds from his shoulder, (Stamina: 4 3 successes) growling in pain*

The Jerks
They come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few.

The God Character: This person has every discipline available, and maybe a few they've made up. They have the highest rating possible in almost all stats. They never get hit or hurt, and they can and do make a one-post kill. Not to be confused with characters who are just powerful, this character is a complete nuisance and no fun to play with. Best advice? Ignore them.

The Know-It-All: This player has an inherent need to comment OOC or IC on every little action players take whether it involves them or not. They don't think the rules should be bent in the least, and they are more than willing to tell you about it, even as they bend the rules themselves. They are usually insulting and often resort to name-calling, presumably because they have the social skills of cow dung. Just because someone has a comment about one of your actions doesn't put them in this category, but you'll be able to spot the ones that do fall in quick enough. Best advice? Pity them, and ignore them. They have to feel important somehow, right?

The Pick-Up Artist: You can't miss them. They come in and PM you right off, usually with something like "Hey baby - Wanna chat?" Usually these are people who have wandered into the chat not knowing it's a roleplay chat, and they are just looking for a little online fun. They usually mean no harm, and PLEASE try not to be rude even if they are inadvertently annoying. Best advice? Politely tell them you are not interested. They usually leave you alone. If they don't, deal with it however you like.

The Leftover 3rd Grader: This person never quite matured. They like to come in and call people names. They squeal with delight at seeing the dirty words they post on the screen. They are annoying at best, an utter nuisance at worst. They usually go away if you ignore them. If they don't, again, deal with them at your leisure.
I'm sure there are more. You'll find out soon enough, and you'll learn how to deal with them.

A Final Note
In the end it is the interaction between the players that keeps the game going. Without a little creative leeway, a lot would never happen. Before you take up the sword and shield for defending the rules, remember that if it's not unfair to anyone, it doesn't matter a great deal. In my opinion, the rules are open to heavy interpretation if it serves to further the game. On the other hand, the rules are the means by which we retain any sort of order in the play. You'll learn for yourself the more you play. Just remember almost everyone is here to have fun. Be cool, and everyone should be cool to you.

If you want to add your thoughts and observations to his page (and I really would like you to!) please mail them to VC Support Staff. Even if they are in direct conflict with my opinions, I will be more than happy to put them up, provided they contain no obscene language, are grown up and not attacking other players, and there is room on the damn page *lmao*.